Thriving in Retail: 5 Reasons to Adopt Customer-Centric Technology

Like the human body, retail organizations are comprised of many moving parts, aiming to be effective and efficient. As humans, we may appear healthy on the surface, but understand there are some illnesses undetected by the naked eye, which is why we take advantage of modern medicine. The retail industry is no different. From the CEO, down to the store manager, each role is vital and impacts the customer journey. To ensure success, it is imperative each role performs seamlessly at a steady cadence. Ultimately, retail’s vital organ is the customer experience—to ignore customer expectations will compromise retail’s very survival in the brick-and-mortar setting.

When customers decide to leave the comfort of their home to shop, they don’t want to see a dismayed look on a sales assistant’s face because locating product information is tedious. Customers will no longer accept an item is not available in the store, or waste precious time waiting in line to pay. Why would they? We are constantly surrounded by technology that enables us to make digital purchases in a matter of seconds, often with convenient same day or next day delivery options.

As the “Retail Apocalypse” looms, two definitive choices will define a retailer’s future. Retailers can continue to watch profits capsize while floating in self-denial. Or, they can embrace the way consumer shopping has changed and as a result, recognize that their business model must adapt! More than one-third of the retailers surveyed in BRP’s 2018 POS/Customer Engagement Survey are planning to replace their current POS software and hardware within the next three years. What are you waiting for?

PCMS’ VISION Commerce Suite is a single solution that will provide widespread value to every channel and touchpoint impacting the customer journey! Here are a few real-world examples highlighting why VCS is likely the best choice for your retail operation:

Store Managers:

Sales Assistants:

Have access to rich, reliable, real-time information about locations and up-selling opportunities. Tailor their approach using mobile POS. According to BRP’s Customer Engagement Survey, 62% of retailers plan to increase their use of mobile devices for POS by the end of 2019.

Customers:

Shop ‘their’ way with quick payment and short lines, including on their phones, self-scan or manned tills. They can receive more timely and personalized chances to not only save, but they can also pass promotions on to friends and family—helping you extend your brand reach with their enthusiasm!

Point of Sale Operators:

With a faster system at their fingertips, they will face smaller lines and happy customers! The ease of use avoids any aggravations like system reboots.